Yolima Garcia de Paez

Home Club: Barranquilla Puerto de Oro Lions Club, Colombia
Years in Lions:  Served as a Leo for four years, has been a Lion since 1995.

Service Snapshot:
What do you like best about being a Lion?
Being helpful, having friends, having multiple personal relationships and being part of an international organization.

What is your favorite Lions club memory?
When I joined Lionism eleven years I was a woman of 24, recently graduated from University, and with many desires to “change the world”. By joining the organization I found myself with many people older than me and I thought there would not be many shared experiences due to the generation gap that existed. However, this was not the case and I started to enjoy the great experience that the veteran lions were giving me, but also contributing a bit of dynamism through daily action.

Four years later I had the chance to seek the post of vice district governor when I was 28years old and fortunately I was elected by an almost absolute majority of my entire district F2. When I attended the first meeting of past governors, their average age was 50 or 60, and I felt a bit strange among them. The PPCG Antonio Redondo, when he saw me come in, told me “Don’t worry Yolima, we will all have to follow your lead.” I was a bit intrigued by the comment and excited by it, but then he continued: “Of course I refer to using the youth-restoring creams, which only you use, and which serve you so well.” That day we roared with laughter, as we always did when we got together. I will never forget these words, especially because Antonio was a great friend even though he can no longer be with us.

What opportunities does Lions give to women?
The opportunity to be equal, to expand our spectrums for managing and serving as well as the opportunity to manage all types of resources within the society we serve.

Marking a Milestone
Yolima Garcia de Paez has been an active Lion for more than 10 years, and involved with the association form more than 16 years. She began her Lions involvement as a Leo club member. When she was 22 years old she was introduced to her future husband, Juan Carlos Paez, who was also a Lion. After they married, they founded the Barranquilla Puerta de Oro Lions Club together. She has served in many capacities on the club district and multiple district level, including district governor and multiple district council chairperson.

Having been involved with Lions for many years, Paez says it gives her “A happy, social and positive life, proud in service and true to myself.” She has greatly enjoyed meeting other Lions from all over the world, and enjoys seeing her fellow Lions enjoy their volunteering experiences as much as she does. She has also gained many valuable leadership skills.

Paez feels that being a Lion is a lifestyle. “It is not fashion, it is not temporary, it is a way of living, a way of seeing life," she said. She believes being a Lion introduces a person to many valuable personal character traits, including respect, tolerance and feeling valued, and helps develop leadership, listening and friendship skills. “After everything Lions clubs can provide, who wouldn’t be interested in belonging,” she asked.

Being a young woman involved in Lions has given her a unique perspective on the association. She has seen changes in her country happen at a rapid pace. “Changes have been seen not just in the role of women but in their number. The increase in gender has been dizzying. For example, in Colombia, the number of women almost matched the number of men and their role is now more executive,” she said. “We already find women district governors, council presidents, international directors, and within a very short time international presidents also. It has been a fast and effective learning curve.” As the association commemorates the 20th anniversary of women in Lions, she hopes in the future she will see women in every Lions club around the world, being the catalyst to form “Lions families” with their spouses and children actively involved and a woman serve as international president.

For Paez, her Lions clubs membership has helped her fulfill the lessons her father taught. “Since I was small, my father taught me to give the best of myself to others and in Lions I found this – to be able to develop my personal qualities for the benefit of the most needy.” She intends to keep accomplishing those lessons for many years to come.